Spiritual Diary

HOW THEY ARE ADMONISHED IN THE HEAVENS AS TO WHETHER THEIR INTERIORS ARE IN A GOOD STATE. Those who are there do not attend closely to the state of their interiors. When they think and do anything they are admonished, through the external appearances, both without the house and within the house, and also upon their clothes and in the face - if they have not thought rightly. If, for example, anything of evil, lasciviousness, or insincerity, has crept in and they have not rejected it, then, outside the house, when they go out, the garden-products and the like, appear to have either vanished, or changed as regards varieties and as regards beauty, or as regards brightness. If they have vanished, or appear dim, they instantly know that they have thought something of evil; and they also reflect whence this is, and what of evil, or of falsity, it is; and it is given them, from themselves as it were to know themselves, and they recollect; and, then, they shun it, or it causes them to repent of those things; which being done, the former loveliness returns. And if spots appear upon their clothes, or if they become less bright, then, in like manner, they thence recollect [wherein they fell away]: they are lustrous, white and roseate when they have thought truths from good. The like happens in the beds, and on their ceilings; in which sometimes appear beautiful variegations of many adornments, when they lead the life of truth and of good: in any other case, they are changed. Thus in a thousand other instances, all of which are admonitions. Maidens are also admonished, through changes of beauty in their face.

ABOUT BOOKS AND THE WORD IN THE OTHER LIFE, IN HEAVEN. They have books there, written as in the world, and similar writing in them as in the world, in the Latin, Hebrew and Eastern languages. I have seen the books frequently; and, also, papers have been sent to me out of heaven, written from top to bottom. I read them as in the world. But whence the writings [come] shall be told elsewhere. Each thing that a man writes, remains in the interior Book of his memory, and is read before him.

But they have the entire Word, from beginning to end, so written that everyone can read it. The preachers there preach on it, and the rest read it, as in the world. They also have songs, and sing from them, precisely as in the world. The spiritual angels are exceedingly fond of songs.

But they have the Word written in the spiritual language of which we have spoken previously. They have the Word in twofold wisdom: the spiritual angels have the sense intermediate between the internal and the external; the interior spiritual have it altogether according to the internal sense, and the celestial angels according to the inmost sense. In their Word, there are not names, nor numbers, but, in their stead, things. They who wish to be intelligent and wise, can be instructed from the Word about the minutest details. Instead of the history of the creation, there is, there, something about the new creation of man.

They have the Word of the Ancient Church, the title of which they call, in part, ENUNCIATIONS, in part, THE WARS OF JEHOVAH, and PROPHETICALS 5605-1 - concerning which. . . The ancients have this; but they said that that Word is so written that they can be instructed in minutest things. It is also inspired; but, inasmuch as it was no longer of service for the men who succeeded them, another Word was written. Of what kind this [Ancient] Word is, is manifest from the first chapters of Genesis, which were taken thence. 5605-2

((There are four classes of men there, just as in the world. The first attend to the uses in the Word; they also see, indeed, the other things, but do not pay attention to them. They serve as a plane. Thus it is read by the celestials. The second, are those who take the doctrinals of the Word therefrom: thus the spiritual understand it. The third, are those who are delighted only with its holy external, without intelligence: these are they who are in the ultimate heaven. And the fourth, are they who attend only to the literal sense, and they who attend only to the words; as, for example, the critics and those who write various things about it: the former [of these] are in the threshold of heaven, and the latter are in the very extremes.))

HOW THE ANGELS HAVE THEIR WISDOM FROM THE WORD, AND ABOUT INFLUX AT THE TIME. I have been instructed from heaven, that the angels are in wisdom from the Word, but that they pay no attention whatever to those things which are in the sense of the letter, nor to those things which are in the thought of a man at the time when he reads it, but to the interiors of the Word from the man. Wherefore, I was instructed how this matter is circumstanced.

The natural thought of man is a plane in which all things of angelic wisdom close: it is a foundation like that of a house. Into that plane all things which the angels think fall. Thence, afterwards, is a plane which is also of such a quality as their wisdom becomes; in other words, as are the ultimates so are the primaries.

If the men who are reading the Word, or thinking, or preaching, from the Word, are wise, the angels are unaware of it at the time, but, still, the wisdom of their thought falls into them as into its plane, as was said; and they are entirely ignorant that it so happens.

Angels have told me that they are sometimes in great wisdom, sometimes in less, sometimes in clearness, sometimes in obscurity; and that their thoughts are variously directed to the quarters, now this, now that, and that they are in greater clearness, or obscurity, according to the direction - but they are not turned to themselves but to men; also, that they thence know that [they are turned] to the human race, where such things are to which they are determined. They said that they have this from much experience; and, when [they are turned] to those things which are in my thought from the heavenly doctrine, then they are in greater clearness than in any other case.

Those things are circumstanced like all things in nature. In nature everything is fixed and ultimated. So with such things. Moreover, that all internals close in externals, see externals degrees - and many things besides.

I read something in the Word, and they who are in heaven perceived all things clearly according to the internal sense, - see what has been written about the correspondence of heaven with the Word. 5613-1

Such correspondence occurs as with the man who feels from ends and speaks thence; and as with the man who attends to the ends and uses of a speaker; and with him who attends only to the sense; and with him who attends only to the eloquence, thus to the affection of speech; and with him who attends only to the words: these last are stupid.

It was also observed, from experience, that, like as ultimates are directed by the Lord from priors, so also, in turn, priors from ultimates; and the Lord is the First and the Ultimate, or in the first and in the ultimate, in order that, so, all things of heaven might be directed; and, therefore, He became a man, so that He might also be in ultimates of Himself, and not by others - they being men. Owing to that, He Himself directs all things from the First and the Ultimate: ultimates, through priors, in heaven; and priors, through heaven, from ultimates: hence is the nexus.

The plane and ultimate is with an intelligent man, whether he is thinking about such things, or is thinking about other things, or is asleep; for it is with him constantly. This also I know from much experience and also because the whole man is of such quality as the truth and good with him. Many men can at the same time serve as a plane for one angel. The Lord so arranges that what is absent in one may be in another; He, also, composes one thing from many, so that it may still serve at the same time for one plane.

CONTINUATION ABOUT THE WORD. There were certain maidens who read the Word daily. One of them was of the celestial genius: two others intermediate between the celestials and the spirituals. These three had the Word. When two of them did not read it for ten days, then their copy of the Word did not appear. But they pondered whence this arose; and it was perceived that it was because they did not read it. Then, they took a copy of the Word out of a rock, and, when they read it, the characters of the words were similar, but they did not understand. They were in the celestial style. They afterwards received the Word and read it daily. Their Word was according to the interior sense, which is midway between the natural and the spiritual. It was historic and prophetic; but, instead of the names of persons and places, and instead of numbers, there were things. In place, there, of Moses, of Aaron, of David, there was the Lord.

ABOUT THE JEWS IN THE OTHER LIFE, AND ABOUT THE HEBREW TONGUE AND ITS CORRESPONDENCE. The Jews dwelt within the Christian world, because they had the Word and have known about the Messiah. They dwelt a little to the left, in a parallel with the sole of the foot and below; and there was a vast multitude there. Those there venerated Moses and Abraham, and others in the Word. Moses appears to them when they do anything of evil, with a staff in his hand, and terrifies them and admonishes them: a certain angel in heaven appears in such a form, and they persuade themselves that it is Moses. I know, too, many things about Abraham; but it is not yet time to disclose them all. They read the Word in the original tongue; and, from their ideas derived from that very tongue, the celestial angels take up the celestial things which are in the Word; for the correspondence of that tongue, as regards the very syllables even, is with celestial forms - of which in another place. 5619-1 But, a little while before Babylon was destroyed, those [Jews] from the Christian world, were also cast out there, and even to the northern quarter in the direction of the length there, where they wander alone, and, there, are in a wretched state. They are still withheld from their internals (which are vile), and in the externals - in which closed-up internals they are able to be more than any other nation. These things the Lord predicts in Matthew, that, [namely], they were tolerated thus far for the sake of the Word, through which there might be some communication with heaven. - The evil of them are in a certain desert, which is called the desert of robbers, which is also in the northern quarter.

Celestial angels said to me, about the Hebrew tongue, that all the letters, or syllables, therein, have correspondence, and that, according to the inflections and curvatures, they have a significance in agreement with the heavenly form. It was permitted them to examine the letters from beginning to end, also certain words; and they said that there is correspondence, except in the case of certain rough letters, as [daleth, cof, ?], and several which are pronounced roughly. But they said that, so far as there is roughness in them, so far they do not correspond. They also said that, for this reason, in the earliest times, they were not rough but smooth, and that, therefore, in everyone of such [letters] there is a point in the middle; and this point signifies that it is pronounced roughly, but that, without the points in the middle, not roughly. All rough [sounds] pertain to spiritual things, and, therefore, the points in the middle of these. They further said - as, also, I have frequently perceived - that they [i.e. the celestial angels] have not the vowels i and e, but a, o and especially u; and that y is an intermediate between the celestial and the spiritual; also, that, because they are such, and only serve the purpose of sound, there are, likewise, no vowels in the Hebrew tongue as in other tongues, but they are annexed by means of marks placed above and beneath. ++ 5620-1

It is hence evident, that the Word is Divine in all its details, not only in the words, but also in the syllables and letters; and hence may be known what that signifies, that not the least apex or the least little horn 5621-1 should perish, and why the Jews have been impelled to number the separate letters, ++ 5621-2 and that they have believed mysteries to be in even every least constituent of a letter, ++ although they have not been aware in what way.

I read something in the Hebrew tongue, without the rough [accent], and rapidly skimming the vowels as only sounds; and, from the syllables alone, they formed the celestial sense in the inmost heaven, and declared that there was correspondence. They who were of the most ancient times speak almost so with each other, from correspondence; but not so the celestials of modern times: still, however, these understand. I read in the Hebrew tongue, Psalm 32, verse 2, 5622-1 without the rough accent, and almost without even the vowels; and they then declared that they understood what it is from the sound,# namely, this, that the Lord pities those men mentioned because they do evil. # It is said "from the sound," and it is meant, from the natural 5622-2 speech of those who are there. Instead of a, there, they say ao, diphthong; instead of i there is nearly y; and instead of ae there is eu.

THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TIME AND SPACE ARE IN THE OTHER LIFE. Those who die while infants, and who come into the interior heavens, do not know what time and space are. As regards time, the reason is this: because the sun, there, does not perform a revolution like the one in the world, consequently, neither does it produce the years and days. The sun, there, which is the Lord, is always in the east; therefore, no other variations exist there than of the states of life as to good and truth, which make their periods. And, since the sun is not of such a nature as the one in the world, they are, therefore, unable to have any notion of time, but only of state - albeit, relatively to the duration of state there is time, just as much as in the world; but they cannot thence have the notion of time, because the states do not recur in regular alternations. In the interior heaven, even the idea of time perishes; because, with those who come thither, the natural, which is in the notion of time, is put to sleep.

Nor are they acquainted with spaces, because these are variously changed according to the states of their life: hence they are the appearances of states; neither are these fixed as are those in the world. Those spaces, also, are varied as regards distances and magnitudes, likewise according to the states of life; and, because their spaces are of such a nature, neither do they have the notion of them, although they still exist.

I spoke with some such ones, and I asked what space is, and what time; but they were entirely unaware. They called spaces, after the variation of appearance, either beautiful or not beautiful; but times differently, saying that they were qualities of life. It must be known, however, that they are still spaces and times; but it is owing to the reasons here assigned that the angels have not any notion of them.

It may appear from these things, that all their natural ideas pass away, for these are based upon spaces and times; and, consequently, that material ideas perish, and those which are in their stead relate to the changes and variations of there state. From very many ideas closely observed, it may be evident how it is that natural thought, and especially sensual thought, cannot withdraw from the notion of space and time; and that, if it withdraws, it is scarcely able to think; for the natural cannot think abstractedly from times and spaces.

Hence also it is, that spiritual wisdom grows in the proportion in which it is removed from the material notion; and it on this account is that the ancients used to say that men come into the light as far as they are withdrawn from the sensual.

Neither do they know what spring, summer, autumn and winter are; nor what morning, noon, evening and night are; still, they have notion of heat and cold, also of light and shade - not, however, from time, but from the state of their life. Besides, they see all things there as in the world: still, however, they do not perceive them according to space, but according to the states of their life.

5629-1 ABOUT BABYLON AND THE EXCEEDINGLY CRAFTY THERE: AND ABOUT THE SEVEN MOUNTAINS. I spoke with Englishmen, and inquired whence it was that they were such, namely, that when they hear truths, they see them and follow them, and that, then, they are apt at conforming themselves; for, with them, in the other life, there appears a whiteness which is above their natural and which is of heavenly light: from this also it is that they are intelligent. Likewise, the Dutch; but, with these, the whiteness does not appear, but a certain solidity in their natural; wherefore, also, they are more tenacious. I spoke with the English, asking whence they have such whiteness - also, such a life; which differs, as they perceived, from the life of all other nations. It was then permitted me to set up a comparison between the government which was among them and among the present-day Italians; which governments are perfect opposites: thence, also, it is that their geniuses differ. In England, there is liberty of speech and of writing about both civil and ecclesiastical questions; but no liberty whatever of cheating others, of employing deceits and craft, nor of assassinating, nor of robbery, nor of slaughter; and this [restraint] and that [liberty] are there general. But it is the opposite among the Italians; there, there is almost entire liberty of cheating, by cunning and deceit, and also of killing, on account of there being so many places of sanctuary, but none whatever of speaking and writing about ecclesiastical questions per contra; neither about civil [abuses]; for they have inquisitions there. Hence it is, that the Italian race keeps all things within; and those of them who are evil, retain a fire inwardly in themselves, which is hatred, revenge, ferocity; which fire also is like that which lies concealed under the ashes after a conflagration, and smoulders. But the English race differently. With them, such fire is not concealed but instantly flares up and burns out, because it is conceded to them to speak and write freely, and, because they are kept in sincerity and justice, by means of its not being permitted them to cheat, to rob and to slay; for in such cases there is no pardon.

After these things were said, I was conducted, along with certain Englishmen, to Italians who have been exceedingly crafty, and such inwardly, and who have burned with such crimes in their life. When I came to a distance [from them], I immediately perceived [in them] contempt for us who were coming and a great notion of themselves, as if they would possess heaven and earth. We approached nearer; and, then, I spoke with them. I asked, at first, something about the Lord: they said that they have all His power, inasmuch as it was given them through Peter. But I asked what they thought about God the Father; whether they have His power, also. They said that they have not, but only that of the Lord as regards the Human. We asked, in reply, how they understand this, that the Lord yet declares Himself to be one with the Father; that the Father is in Him and He in the Father; and that His Divine and Human is one like the soul and body, and, that because this is so, they cannot be divided; and [pointed out] that they do not so perceive the matter unless they say that they have Divine power, and also that of the Father Himself. At this, they, at first, held their peace, and consulted together: afterwards, they said that they have not heard such a thing before, and that they cannot reply to it until after they have consulted among themselves. They still wished to say something; but we answered that the speaking native to man is through the speech of ideas such as belongs to the wise in the other life, and not through a speech of terms; but, that, if they want to hunt up terms from the school-men and from Aristotle, this is ridiculous, and is never admitted by any intelligent man, because, in this way, the greatest falses may be confirmed. Then, after they consulted further, they sent to me a certain one who had been an Inquisitor among them; but, when he approached, he said that he is not of that religion but of another, and, moreover, that he did not dare [to say anything] there. Wherefore, they wished to resort to their arts and deceits, and said that they would reply in another way. But I said that this avails nothing, because we speak from Divine Truth; and that they know that he who attacks Divine Truth assails the Divine itself: also, that nobody ventured anything against Divine Truth in the other life.

These dwelt in a mountain in the west, afar off behind a wood, where were the most wicked; and there they hid themselves. It was said, that, around them, appears a fieriness as it were of burning, from the loves of self and the world; inasmuch as such burning lies inwardly concealed in them, by reason of the fact that they believe themselves to possess heaven and men's souls, and, also, desire to possess the universal earth.

When they saw us, they said among themselves, They are paltry men and not in any eminence; on hearing which, I asked how they understand the Lord's words, that he who is least should in heaven be greatest, and the greatest least. They wanted to say that they declare themselves least; but I replied that this word does not mean to be least according to the mouth, but least in heart; when, nevertheless, although they style themselves least, they are yet thoroughly well-known as wishing to be greatest. It was then inquired where such ones were.

To this interrogatory, they said that they have an inquisition, and that they send thither everyone who is not willing to receive their religious decrees; but that, when they seek [for them], they find them released, nor do they know how they get off; also, that the inquisitor says that he wishes to resign that post because it avails nothing. It was shown, moreover, how cruelly they treat those who are not willing to profess their religious notions and acknowledge them as gods. Those enormities with which they maltreat these latter, must be kept secret, because they are horrible. (They hang them up by hooks fixed under the ribs.)

Afterwards, was exhibited how such ones are dispatched to hell. At a bridge behind that mountain, more to the western parts, is a desert into which they who are such are cast which is done in succession; as, also, themselves confessed. They said, that, when those who descend from the mountain at this part, where there is a narrow swampy space, come above that, they utterly lose everything of understanding and become most stupid. They appear like corpses; nor do they know that they are men. They wander there in great multitudes. There is also a long opening there, which leads under the ground. They who are worst enter thither, and the more deeply they enter the stupider they become. They lie like corpses. Some were let in thither; and they said that it is so. That wide passage leads, in a curve, to a second bridge, and the farther they come along it, the stupider they grow and the more corpse-like. The reason is, because the interiors of all who have been deceitful, and burned with revenge, up to the end of life, and perceived their delight therein, are closed in spiritual death: with these, at length, no soundness remains. Some went out from that passage. They were like corpses, and the love of self exhaled from them. It was said, that, as long as they are such, they lie like corpses, almost dead; also that those with whom that love is broken, have yet something of life afterwards, but that, still, they dwell in that desert.

Then, also, I saw many descending from that mountain into the desert. These, at first, began to be as it were insane: thus they lost their ingenuity of wickedness; and, afterwards, they were let down; and it was said that they who go across that swampy space can never return, and that, if they try to return, they fall into a swoon from the anguish produced: wherefore, they turn back. They were asked what they felt about those there in the desert whether, or not, they fear them. They said that they do not fear them. They believe that they were themselves still more crafty and skillful; therefore, they cover up their heart. Those were let down over the swampy space who were obdurate in heart, and would not desist from their heinous cruelty against everyone who does not acknowledge that they have power over heaven and on earth. A certain one of them wanted, through crafty magical devices, to go backwards: he was thrown into a swoon near that swamp, and fell, on account of magical thought from the Word about God the Father, and rolled himself over the swamp; and then he said that he wanted to cease from his former cruelty. He was among the governors there. But, as soon as he came thither, he returned into similar, and into yet greater, cruelty; to such a degree that he wanted to be in place of the executioner. Wherefore, he was dispatched thence among the former ones, and perished like the others.

At length, those who were in this mountain underwent visitation, and perished in almost the same manner. The whole mountain sunk down in the midst, and they were cast altogether into the depth; and waters were drawn off from the western sea [K. Fig. 5], which overwhelmed [them]; so that these were also immersed in the waters of the sea, though not where the rest were, of whom [I have spoken] above [no. 5300]. They afterwards struggled to emerge, and so get out; but there then appeared a sulfurous smoke of fire, from the love of self and of ruling, which was seen on all sides. This was a sign that they have been still more deeply immersed in the cupidities of that filthy love.

Those of the surrounding crew who were of the same genius, but did not rule because they were meaner, were taken down behind the mountain at the southern side, and cast into gulfs according to their evils.

DEVILS WHO FEIGN THEMSELVES ANGELS OF LIGHT. From the assiduity and deceitfulness of men in the world, it comes to pass, when such ones enter the other life, they are able to present themselves as angels, when, nevertheless, they are devils: and also to enter the heavens where the angels are. They who are skilful in this, are able so to dispose their interiors that nothing else is observed and perceived than what is angelic; some by one art, some by another; [and], although the angels have a tolerably good notion of observing and perceiving, still they are deceived.

This, those especially know how to accomplish who had been in a sacred function, as many Jesuits and others; for the reason that they have so disposed their countenances in the world, and, at the same moment, have shut up, or separated, the interiors and their evil affections, from the gaze of men.

This takes place, either by means of affections, which are of the will, or, by means of those things which are of faith, which belong to the understanding. Few can feign themselves angels of light in the heavens by means of affections, because the perception of such things there is exquisite; but, in a lower sphere, and with all the simple at the threshold of heaven, they are able to counterfeit angels of light by means of affections; for, those do not have interior perception, nor penetration from knowledges; and because, also, in the world, they have esteemed as neighbor whoever was wretched, poor and a beggar, if only he displayed his misery. But they can by means of the truths of faith, and so through intellectual things. They are able to speak more admirably and in a more Christian manner than others, from the understanding, and from the light of heaven; and, then, they hide their affections by art, nor do they dare to imitate goods. They know, also, through communication with the simple-good, how to bring it to pass that good affections may inflow into their truths, and thus to present themselves before the angels, as angels, too. They are also received, but are not able to disguise themselves long. I saw such ones, and heard how they worm themselves in, and how they behave; also that they are received. There are still more arts; as, for instance, how some are able to bring themselves even into the celestial heaven.

It should be known that the intellectual of man is preserved entire by the Lord, whatever may be the state of his voluntary; to the end that everyone may be able to be reformed which takes place by the means of the intellectual; and I have heard infernals both well understand the truths of faith, and enter into arcana as ably as the good; and they are likewise able to speak intellectually, although the heart is far away. When they are speaking, also, the voluntary is separated, and they scarcely know otherwise than that they are such in heart and mind - although they are not; like many preachers are wont to do, who, when they are in the act of preaching, believe that the thing is as they say, and speak as from faith and love; when, nevertheless, by themselves at home, they are quite the reverse.

They who act in this way and are in this purpose of ruling, and of subjecting all to themselves, and likewise of turning all there away from the Lord to themselves, consequently of destroying heaven - these are principally of the Catholic religion. Their arts in the other life are exceedingly many. Such are they who are meant by him who came into the marriage and was not dressed in a wedding garment: the wedding garment is truth from good.

THE SPIRITUAL SPEECH. HOW REGENERATION TAKES PLACE. HEAVEN. ((That regeneration takes place by means of the truths of faith, is shown in many places in the Arcana Coelestia; but through the speech and the thought of ideas, in the other life, how the case is in this matter, can be seen. Let there be, for example, principles of truth; also marriage; and the love of self. The truth of faith is received in a man's memory, and the good of love in his will; the will through the intellect, or the will in the intellect, sees, in the memory, that this truth is in agreement with its own good, whatever that may be. Then, it contemplates it, loves it, thinks it, and also, when opportunity offers, speaks and does it. Thus is good conjoined with truth in the natural memory, and, then, at the same time, in the spiritual memory; and they unite themselves in a marriage. For example, [again], when any man, or woman, wishes, from the good of his (or her) will, that the marriage should be genuine; and, from the truths of faith which are in the memory, knows that married partners ought to be as one man, and that the marriage will endure to eternity if a true marriage; also, that that love is the fundamental of all loves - then, he (or she) loves those truths because they agree with his (or her) will, or good, or love, and places them under his (or her) view; and, as often as he (or she) thinks about marriage, the internal sight falls upon such things, until they are conjoined in the exterior and interior memory. But those with whom is no good of the will, reject such things, and procure falses in their stead. In like manner, the love of self: if, from the truths of faith, it is known that that love is infernal, consequently that it is hell, then good, through the internal sight, makes for itself, about that love, an idea of hell, at which it is horrified; wherefore, as soon as such a thing as is of that love recurs, and it perceives that it is such then the good of the will, through its sight, examines into the idea of hell and is then withheld by the Lord from those things which are of the love of self; and the more completely he is withheld and the better the good is, the more things he begins to know; for the desire of knowing grows according to the good of love, and, also, is increased through the increases of good; so that he is at length sensible of the genera and species of the love of self, and this in himself. Hence he becomes more and more wise. The speech of ideas, when genuine, is of such an nature. Wherefore, the evil cannot endure it; because they have a different and contrary speech of ideas, which is from the falses of evil.))

5645-1 THAT A MAN'S SPIRIT APPEARS IN THE OTHER LIFE. Sometimes man appears as to his spirit among others there. They said that they sometimes see them, and nevertheless know that it is not a spirit as yet after decease from the world, from certain signs. But it happens only with those who think inwardly in themselves more deeply than the rest. At the time, with him, his thought is withdrawn from the sensuals of the body, and he appears thus. They, however, who think only in their sensual, and do not raise their thoughts above it, never appear. Nor do spirits know anything about man, where he is; inasmuch as the corporeal does not appear before their eyes, as spirits do not appear before men's eyes. Some have searched into this matter, at great pains, but have not found out. The wicked did this, but they were foiled; for, if evil spirits knew where man is, and that they were with man, they would destroy him utterly, and thus the whole human race; for such is their interior ferocity. They also hold men as of no value, and altogether despise them. But the Lord loves men.

ABOUT WALKING: THAT THEY ARE CHANGES OF STATE ABOUT THE FORMS OF SPIRITS, AND THAT SPIRITS ARE APPEARANCES. Walkings, goings, and departures, are nothing else but changes of the state of the interiors; but, still, before the eyes of the spirits and angels, they appear exactly like walkings, goings and departures; which is like the case is with man's life, that he believes he lives from himself; and, by reason of his understanding of truth and will of good, that he believes he understands truth and wills good from himself; because it entirely appears so. Those appearances are so real, that the spirits are altogether unaware that they are from that origin; nor are they willing to know that they are thence; and the angels of heaven know, indeed, but do not talk about it. This is of the Lord's Divine Providence, in order that everyone may seem to himself to live and act from himself. This derives its origin from man's walkings and goings in the world. Naturally, men walk from place to place, because space is there and time is there; but, in the other life, there are neither spaces nor times other than appearances according to states. But, when men actually walk about, then it is indeed the body that does it, but it is from the will in the plane of action; and, so far as the will is present, in that degree the man himself walks. Wherefore, when they are in the other life, instead of spaces and times, there are states and those things which are appearances of state; and a spirit, also, is an appearing man. 5646-1 (For a spirit, there, is an appearing man before the eyes of others, owing to the fact that the Lord's Divine in heaven is a man. Hence are so many varieties, as regards forms, in the countenances of spirits, according to the changes of state, their presence and absence.) Spirits and angels are, indeed, actual forms; but they have nothing of life from themselves. They are led by the Lord according to [their] life; for in God we live, move, and are. These forms are recipients of the Divine: and, in whatever manner they receive, just such they are. Because those forms are the forms of interior nature, or are in the spiritual world, they are adapted to all the changes and variations of state, and this to an immense and incredible extent, and in greater extent according as they are in interiors to what extent and of what kind, there, is incredible. Hence is manifest how much [fuller] recipients they in the heavens who are in the inmost [heavens], are, than those in the lower [heavens] and in the world of spirits; consequently, recipients of the wisdom and the bliss which belong to life from the Divine.

Walkings there, are either total changes or only partial. They are total when interiors and exteriors act together. At such times, when they walk, they walk with the whole being, and where they then come there they wholly are; appearing there as respects place, but actually there as respects the state of their life, which is the state of the affection which is of love, consequently of the will. Walkings are partial changes, however, when the interiors are stationary and the exterior states change. 5647-1 Then, also, they appear to themselves in like manner to walk, nor do they know any difference; but, still, it is not the whole spirit, but only his intellectual: they themselves remaining in their own place, or state. Nor do they then know otherwise than that they are walking; and the majority do not distinguish [the one kind from the other]. But the evil are then in their phantasy, because in their interiors and in evil, therefore in insanity: the good, however, are then in their wisdom; but, yet, all fall back, in will, to their own state and place. A certain book was exhibited, and was instantly taken away by another [spirit] upon a mountain which happened in a moment. I inquired the reason how this is. They said that it is only by placing one's self in the state of another; likewise, that presence with the book [occurs] instantly; and that, when this happens, they simply stretch out the hand - which is a sign.

CONTINUATION ABOUT BABYLON AND THE SEVEN MOUNTAINS. There are many mountains there, which are in that part and northwards from it, as many as twenty; but they are all called in the Apocalypse [17:9], the seven mountains upon which dwells the beast; 5648-1 because seven, in the opposite sense, signifies a profane [state]. And the majority who are there, are of the Italian nation. On that, about which something has been previously related, the Romans dwell, because they are in the love of governing more than all the rest; neither do they care so much for knowledges. Behind them dwell the rest of the Italians who are of such a character: as those who are higher up than Rome, for instance, those who belong to Tuscany, Genoa, Venice, Milan, and the Trans-alpine provinces. These dwell upon the middle mountains there. In the farthest [mountain] towards the north, are those who were from Naples, and farther on, from Sicily; for the worst dwell towards the north there. They who were from Sicily, are those who have been in the subtlety of falsity, and in falses, more than the rest; and not so much in the love of governing, like the Romans.

It must be known, also, that many of the Reformed religion betook themselves thither, and that they have professed the Catholic religion, but only those who have been in the evil of life; who, since they betook themselves in vain to piety and to prayers, had recourse to their faith - which in the world they held interiorly in themselves - and embraced all things of religion which the others wished, inasmuch as, in their heart, they regard religion as nothing. Hence there is, there, a very numerous crew from various nations, who are all their servants. That external Catholic religion is also [there]; and is for such ones.

When visitation was accomplished among those who were on the three mountains, it was next made upon the Romans; and it was found that all things there were diabolical, and that, yet, they came to that insanity that they not only rejected the Divine, but also wanted to be themselves acknowledged as gods, which, also, was done. At first, they there adored God the Father, and passed by the Lord altogether, because they said that they have all His power themselves, so that there was no longer anything of power [belonging to Him], and that the reason they worshipped Him so holily in the world, as in the churches and in the sacrament of the Supper, was in order that they might be adored, as being in His stead on the earths. When they became such, and thus not only took away all power from the Lord and arrogated it to themselves, but proclaimed themselves as gods, and also established the worship of themselves (for such insanity seizes them in the other life when exterior bonds are taken away and they are left to their internals) - then, the last Judgment came upon them; all were taken away from two mountains there in a moment, thus were let into their interiors, and so cast into the gulfs, in an instant; some into the higher western one; some into the lower western; some - but few - into the sea there; some into the higher southern gulf. But the mountain which was in the midst, that sank down in the middle; and those there were cast down deeply into hell, and a black smoke mounted up.

Footnotes

5605-1 One of these "PROPHETICALS" is the Book of Jasher (see Sacred Scripture, 103, near the end, and True Christian Religion, 265, also near the end), quoted by JOSHUA on the occasion of the sun standing still in Gibeah, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon (Josh. 10:12, 13). -ED.

5605-2 For further information on this highly interesting and important subject of the Ancient Word, the reader is referred to Sacred Scripture, 102, 103; True Christian Religion, 265, 266, 279. -ED.

5613-1 For several exceedingly interesting particulars on this subject from the authors own experience, the reader is referred to Arcana Coelestia, 1768-1771. -ED.

5620-1 ++ It may be worth while to mention that all the points in the text marked "++" [with one symbol on top of the other], are matters of natural fact, well-known to all students of the Hebrew language and Scriptures. -ED.

5621-2 ++ It may be worth while to mention that all the points in the text marked "++" [with one symbol on top of the other], are matters of natural fact, well-known to all students of the Hebrew language and Scriptures. -ED.

5622-1 "Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."

5622-2 I.e. natural as distinguished from artificial, or acquired. -ED.

5647-1 The Latin edition has "when the exteriors are stationary and the interior states change;" but this is so entirely at variance with what follows, that we have assumed it to be a printer's error, and have therefore ventured the rendering embodied in the text. -ED.

5648-1 The passage in the Apocalypse speaks of the woman as sitting on the seven mountains; but as, according to verse 7 of the same chapter, the woman sat on the beast, the "beast" also was on them, as above represented. -ED.